Parked car location reminder device



Aug. 12, 1969 B- D. BAXTER .PARKED CAR LOCATION REMINDER DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 11. 1966 Aug. 12, 1969 Filed Aug. 11. 1966- FIG. 5

B. D. BAXTER PARKED CAR LOCATION REMINDER DEVICE 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 Fla. 1/

IN VEN TOR. flay/4 M/A/ 2 J4 xnse United States Patent Oflice 3,460,508 Patented Aug. 12, 1969 3,460,508 PARKED CAR LOCATION REMINDER DEVICE Benjamin D. Baxter, 7815 4th Ave., Brooklyn, NY. 11209 Filed Aug. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 571,821 Int. Cl. G09f 9/00 US. Cl. 116-133 Claims ABSTRACT or THE DISCLOSURE In a parked car locating device, a sheet bearing indicia representing a landmark and coordinate distances from the landmark is inserted in a transparent cylinder. A ring frictionally slidable and rotatable on the outside of the cylinder has an index cooperating with the indicia on the sheet inside the cylinder to indicate the location of a parked car.

This invention relates to a parked car location reminder device, and more particularly to a device which can be carried conveniently on a key chain and can be easily set to indicate the number of blocks north or south and east or west of a selected landmark or destination.

The invention may be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view, partially in section, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rolled sheet containing indicia and forming part of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the indicia sheet of FIG. 2 in rolled-out fiat condition;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the split ring forming part of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of another embodiment of the invention;

. FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section taken along the plane of line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

b FIG. 7 is an elevation view of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a cross section taken along the plane of line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view, partially cut away, of the device of FIG. 7, taken in the direction of arrows 9-9 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is an elevation view of still another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a cross section taken along the plane of line 11-11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is an elevation view of still a further embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 13 is an elevation view of the device of FIG. 12 with the split rings carrying the indicia removed.

The same reference characters are used to designate the same or functionally similar parts through the several views.

In FIG. 1, which represents a preferred embodiment of my invention, there is shown a body member 10, preferably of tubular transparent plastic. A carrying member 12 having an aperture 14 is formed integrally with the body 10, and serves to support the device on a key chain. A split ring member 16, shown in FIG. 4, also preferably made of transparent plastic, is of such diameter that it fits snugly but slidably around the tube 10 so that it can be rotated therearound and slid along it. The split ring 16 is marked with indicia which include a dot 18 and perpendicularly intersecting lines 22, 24. A base member or flange 26, either formed integrally with the body member 10 or attached thereto, serves to prevent the ring member 16 from sliding off the flange end of the body member 10. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 a rollable sheet 30 is provided with printed markings or indicia forming a grid with abscissae 32 designating east and west distances or city blocks from a selected landmark or destination, represented by a first indicia point or origin 34 between the positive and negative, i.e. east or west abscissae 32. Ordinates 36 arranged on the grid of sheet 30 designate distances, or the number of city blocks, north and south of the first indicia or origin 34.

The device of FIGS. 1-4 is assembled by rolling the sheet 30 into a cylindrical or partially cylindrical form as shown in FIG. 2 and by then inserting it into the tube 10 so that the grid with abscissae and ordinates 32, 36 is visible through the transparent body 10. The rolled paper 30 expands radially until its surface rests against the inside of the tube 10. A notch may be cut in the paper at 33 to engage a protrusion 35 in the flanged base 26 to prevent rotation of the paper 30 within the tube 10. The split ring 16 is slid down onto the outside of tube 10 from the direction of suspension member 12 and grips the outside of the tube 10.

The device of FIGS. 1-4 is used as follows. If, for example, the parked car is located three blocks east and two blocks north of the destination or fixed landmark represented on the grid by the first indicia 34, then the split ring 16 is rotated around and slid along the tube 10 until its point indicator 18 is directly over the third abscissa to the right of the N-S line 36 and also directly over the second ordinate above the W-E line 32 of the grid.

The device of FIG. 5 utilizes the same general principal of the invention, but comprises a flat generally planar body having integrally formed therewith a suspension ring 112 containing an aperture 114. The planar body 110 is provided on its front surface with intersecting recessed grooves 128, 129. Indicia markings 132, representing east and west distances or numbers of city blocks from a selected landmark or destination represented on the device by a first indicia or origin 134, are arranged along the edge of the groove 128 and on the front surface of the planar body 110. Similarly, third indicia 136, arranged above and below the point 134, represent distances north and south, respectively, of the origin or fixed location or destination designated by the indicia 134; the indicia 136 being arranged on the front surface of the body 110 along the groove 129. Indicator means 118, 119 are shaped to slide snugly within and be retained by the grooves 128, 129, respectively and to remain pointed to the particular locations on the scales 132, 136 to which they are set, until voluntarily moved.

The device of FIGS. 5 and 6 is used as follows. If the parked car is located three blocks east and two blocks north of a selected landmark or destination, the indicator 118 is slid along the groove 128 and set at the numeral three to the right of the indicia 134, and the indicator 119 is slid along the groove 129 until it rests at the numeral 2 on the scale 136 above the dot 134.

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show another embodiment illustrating the principles of my invention. In this embodiment the indicia are arranged on flat rotatable discs. A casing 210, having a suspension loop 212 provided with an aperture 214, has fixed in the center of the back face thereof a pivot pin 215. Mounted on the pin 215 are discs 232 and 236 containing east-west indicia and north-south indicia, respectively. Spacers 217 are provided between the rear housing and the rear disc 236, and between the two discs 232 and 236. Integrally formed with the casing 210 is a peripheral protective portion 211 to which is attached a lower front lip portion 237 and an upper front lip portion 238. The upper front lip portion 238 is formed as a hollow frame defining an opening 240.

The device of FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 operates as follows. If the parked car is located three blocks east and two blocks north of a fixed landmark or destination, indicated on each disc by a zero, the disc 236 is rotated about the pivot pin 215 until the indicia N2 appears in the opening 240 of frame 238. Similarly, the disc 232 is rotated about the pivot pin 215 until the indicia E-3 appears in the opening 240 of the frame 238. The peripheral protective portion 211 of the casing 210 prevents inadvertent movement of the discs, for example when the device is carried in a pocket.

FIGS. and 11 illustrate a still further embodiment of the invention. Shown in FIG. 10 is a cylindrical body 310 having a suspension member 312 formed integral therewith and defining a suspension aperture 314. One of the indicia means, either the north-south or the east-West indicia means, is longitudinally arranged at 136 along the outer surface of the cylindrical body 310. In FIG. 10 the north-south indicia is so shown. The indicia representing the fixed landmark or destination is indicated at 334 midway between the two extremities of the indicia 336. A split ring 316, adapted to encompass a major portion of the periphery of cylinder 310, is marked with the other distance of the two indicia along one edge thereof at 332. The split ring 316 is provided with a knurled or a milled raised portion 333 to facilitate rotation of the ring 332 about the axis of the cylinder 310 and also to help slide the ring 316 along the surface thereof.

The device of FIGS. 10 and 11 operates as follows. If the parked car location is three blocks east and two blocks north of a fixed landmark or destination, the split ring 316 is rotated until the numeral 3 on the E side of the zero of E-W indicia 332 coincides with the longitudinal N-S line of indicia 336. At the same time, the split ring 316 is moved longitudinally along the surface of cylinder 310 until the edge 332 of the ring 316 coincides with the numeral 2 on the N side of the transverse line 334.

FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate still a further embodiment of the present invention. A cylindrical housing 410 is provided with a suspension loop 412 having an aperture 414. The cylinder 410 is provided with a pair of peripheral grooves or recesses 413 and 415 on its outer surface. A pair of split rings 416, 417 are adapted to fit within the two grooves 413 and 415, and each of these split rings carry indicia corresponding to north-south and east-west distances, respectively. Fixed indicator arrows 418 and 419 are located on the outer surface of the housing body 410 adjacent the edges of the respective grooves 413 and 415 so that they rest against the edges of the rings 416 and 417, respectively, when the latter are in position within the grooves 413 and 415.

The devices of FIGS. 12 and 13 operates as follows. If the parked car location is three blocks east and two blocks north of a selected landmark, the ring 416 is rotated within the groove 413 about the axis of the cylinder 410 until the numeral 3 on the E side of the E-W indicia coincides with the arrow 418. Similarly, the ring 417 is rotated in its groove 415 until the numeral 2 on the N side of the north-south indicia coincides with the arrow 419.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art upon studying this disclosure that devices according to my invention can be modified in various respects and hence can be embodied in devices other than as particularly illustrated and described herein without departing from the essential features of my invention and within the scope of the claims annexed hereto.

I claim:

1. A parked car location reminder device comprising a transparent cylinder, a sheet having a length approximately equal to the length of said cylinder and a width approximately equal to the inside circumference of said cylinder and having on a face thereof indicia means representing a landmark and coordinate distances from said landmark, said sheet being coiled to cylindrical form and fitting inside said cylinder, means retaining said sheet non-rotatably in said cylinder, and indicating means frictionally embracing said cylinder and having an index thereon, said indicating means being frictionally movable rotationally and axially on said cylinder to position said index in register with selected indicia on said sheet to indicate the position of a parked car with reference to said landmark, and frictionally engaging said cylinder to retain the position to which it is set.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which said cylinder is closed at its upper end by an integral portion having an extension of reduced cross-section projecting axially of said cylinder and having a transverse aperture.

3. A device according to claim 1, in which said indicating means comprises a split ring of resilient transparent material having intersecting lines comprising said index.

4. A device according to claim 1, in which said retaining means comprises a closure for the lower end of said cylinder.

5. A device according to claim 4, in which said sheet has a notch at its lower edge and said closure has a projection engaging said notch to hold said sheet against rotation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 886,189 4/ 1908 Crouch. 1,425,244 8/ 1922 Easton 235-89 1,503,299 7/1924 Canon 235-89 1,600,214 9/ 1926 Butterfield 235-87 1,633,402 6/ 1927 Furber et al. 35-7 2,167,465 7/1939 Sell 116-130 XR 2,239,344 4/ 1941 Sifrit 235-87 2,450,949 10/1948 Gattuccio et al. 116-121 2,833,068 5/1958 Parker 116-133 XR 2,891,314 6/1959 Haschek 33-1 3,147,915 9/1964 Cresswell 235-795 3,191,318 6/1965 Hoffman 35-24 XR 3,328,899 7/1967 Stewart 116-135 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 602,537 12/ 1925 France.

310,762 9/1933 Italy.

352,414 9/1937 Italy.

LOUIS I. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

